This dish is full of surprises. First, the topping is a delightful color, thanks to the mixture of russet and sweet potatoes, and second, the entire thing is vegan! You’d never know from tasting the creamy mashed potato topping or the savory lentil filling, but not a single animal had a bad day in order for this tasty dish to reach your dinner table.
While the ingredients list might look a bit daunting, the steps are all straightforward, and the resulting shepherd’s pie will make every shepherd’s herd happy.
Vegan lentil & sweet potato shepherd's pie
4
20 minutes
40 minutes
1 hour
1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons nut milk
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons full-fat coconut cream
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
38-ounce can of lentils, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup frozen English peas
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
Cornstarch (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place the potatoes and sweet potatoes in a medium pot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot along with the nut milk, vegan butter, coconut cream, salt and pepper, and nutritional yeast, if using.
Mash until everything is homogeneous and smooth. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sweat until they begin to become translucent. Add the carrot and celery, and continue to cook about 3 minutes, until beginning to soften.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the lentils, broth and bouillon cube. Stir well, and loosely cover. Simmer for 20 minutes before adding the tomato paste, peas and spices. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 5-10 additional minutes. (Add corn starch if desired for extra thickness.)
Pour the lentil mixture into the bottom of a heavy 8-by-8-inch casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
